In the first ten to fifteen years of a great creative’s career, professional development focuses primarily on his or her talent. That can make the transition into a creative leadership role quite challenging. And, while a portfolio of executive development programs exist, none address the specific development priorities of creatives who step into management roles to lead teams. PromaxBDA aims to change that with its new leadership development program, Thrive.

Thrive is designed to help “high-potential creatives transition into leadership,” says Katerina Zacharia, PromaxBDA’s vice president of industry development and diversity. “Leading a creative team requires a whole different set of skills and knowledge than being a creative does. And yet, we know the creative who develops the capacity to use that lens to lead has tremendous impact on both their department and the organization.”

PromaxBDA already has several programs in place targeted at different points of industry development: Promo Pathway provides candidates with the skills and tools they need to enter the entertainment media marketing industry and find success, while the Executive Mentorship Program pairs high-potential managers and directors with industry leaders to develop the next generation of talent.

Backed by research and the input of an industry-wide advisory committee of senior marketing and creative executives and leadership experts, PromaxBDA designed Thrive. The new program is an immersive learning experience that combines executive mentorship, leadership coaching, training and industry exposure intended to provide emerging leaders with the tools, skills and vision to lead both in their organizations and in the industry as a whole. Topics covered by Thrive include managing creative teams, brand strategy and marketing, leadership styles, business planning and finance, communications, and emotional and social intelligence among other topics.

Applicants need to be sponsored by their organization, which will be responsible for covering tuition. Applications are due November 15, 2013.

PromaxBDA in conjunction with the Thrive Advisory Committee will select 16 candidates for the 2014 inaugural year. The 2014 Thrive Leaders will be announced in February 2014.

The program launches at PromaxBDA: The Conference in New York next June, where Thrive Leaders will meet their executive mentors and participate in the mentorship training. While at The Conference, the candidates will attend the Leadership Institute, which convenes program participants, executive mentors, coaches, senior executives, elite members and ambassadors.

In October 2014, Thrive Leaders will attend a four-day intensive training seminar in Ojai, Calif., taught by industry leaders, leadership coaches, and other experts, that will prepare them to lead creative marketing teams while understanding their businesses’ bottom lines. Each leader will leave the training with a personal development plan. The sixteen Thrive Leaders will form peer advisory groups of four who will then work together over the next six months to support each other’s development.

Once that training is complete, Thrive candidates will continue to have sessions with a personal leadership coach and work with their executive mentor to strengthen their leadership styles and voices through spring 2015 and execute on their personal development plan. They’ll also have the opportunity to develop a mentee relationship of their own, working with someone else who shows potential and is interested in coming up in the industry. In winter 2015, candidates will make two presentations at PromaxBDA University events.

“A great leader is a great teacher and mentor. The speaking engagements at universities will offer Thrive Leaders the opportunity to build their industry voice and share their own knowledge,” says Zacharia.

The year-long program wraps in June 2015 with each peer group working with a PromaxBDA board member to produce an original session at PromaxBDA: The Conference.

Participants in Thrive will learn how to lead their teams as well as to use their knowledge and experience to contribute to a productive industry conversation.

For more information, go here.

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